This invention relates to an appliance to be used for collecting a sample of blood accumulated through a skin puncture on the finger tip or heel of a patient and designed with a sealed chamber to receive the flow of blood without exposure to the environment.
The current method of obtaining a small sample of blood for processing is by lancing a finger tip or heel and squeezing out a drop or two of blood, which is then wetted onto a reagent test strip, placed on a glass slide or collected into a small capillary tube. The blood flows out onto the patient's skin without restriction and quite often drips and splatters, especially in the case of small children or disoriented persons who cannot keep still. This creates an inconvenience and increases the risk of contamination to the nurse or doctor.
If a test is done at the bedside, for example for glucose, the blood is smeared onto a test strip and processed by a set procedure, then recorded. It is much easier and expedient for the attendant to collect all the samples and then process them at one location such as the nurse's station or desk. A sealed collector provides a convenient means for this procedure.
After collecting or processing the sample, the patient's finger (or heel) is wiped clean then sometimes bandaged with a band aid, or the like.